Electric oven



Dec. 17, 1935. R. c. PHELPS ELECTRIC OVEN Filed Nov. 4 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /fl 7266565 wa M4,

Dec. 17, 1935. R. c. PHELPS 2,024,386

ELECTRIC OVEN Filed Nov. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet? /J/ J6 d IHHWW 7 WNW Patented Dec. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC OVEN Rosalia C. Phelps, Segovia, Tex. Application November 4, 1931, Serial No. 572,946

1 Claim. (Cl. 219-35) This invention relates to electric stoves and more particularly to such devices or accessories commonly known as ovens, adapted for domestic use.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved and simplified form of portable electric stove or oven 01' the character referred to; to provide such a device for making electrical connection to the front part of each heater element respectively at the front of the ovemand if desired automatically as the combined shelf and element is pushed back into I place in the oven; and to provide simplifiedand more accessible electrical contacts of low cost and adapted for independent u'nit connection and capable of ready accessibility for cleaning and possible repairs.

This invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

' Figure 1 is a perspective exterior view of a com-' plete oven unit, with the door closed, and with front corner side connections for the SUPPLY of heating current.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing the top face, of one of the removable heating elements adapted for use in the oven of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged underneath view of the element shown in'Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the oven taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 01 Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a modified form of oven taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 8.

Fig. '7 is a plan of a modified form of heater element adapted for use in the oven of Figs. 6- and 8, with the lower left-hand corner shown in section to illustrate one of the electrical con- .nections.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line H of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section through the channel-shaped contact bar and f insulating channel member shown in Figs. 6 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a plan of a corresponding contact plus such as .is shown on each front comer of the heater element of Fig. '7.

The prior ovens of this general type all embodied electrical connections located in the rear tric heating elements or coils 9.

forwardly in the'iront and side portions or the oven, which makes their accessibility very convenient. I

Reterring first to Figs. 1 to 5, the oven as a whole comprises an enclosed oven body I having a front door 2, hinged at 2', sides 3, top 4, a bottom I, and a back I. The interior of the oven -has mutually spaced brackets or supports 8 mounted on the inner portions of the sides 3' for accommodating a combined shelf and heater element units 1 which are slidably mounted for manual control on the supports or rails 6. Each unit 1 comprises a metallic top plate 8 and elec- Said plate forms a housing for said elements and also acts 5-, as a shelf for pans, dishes and foods while cooking or baking. The elements 9 are. mounted on or adjacent to the underside of plate 8. The

ends of said elements or series of elements are carried by an insulator III which is mounted on a front corner of the housing formed by the shelf 8. --These element ends are secured to two parallel contacts ll protruding sidewise beyond the edge of the housing. An electric plug l2, one of several, connected to a power source, not shown, slidably engages the contacts ll, through a vertical aperture II in the side wall of the oven, near its iront edge. A number of plugs, say one for each shelf 1,. may be carried by a single forked cord I2.

A guide and handle bar H is mounted in horizontally spaced relation around the outer periphery of the heater housing, forming a support for the entire unit 1 for slidable engagement with the rails 6 of the oven. The narrow medial spacer tongue 8" assures air circulation space at the adjacent corners.

.In operation if a pie, such'as indicated at H, is to be baked, the best results would be obtained by employing two units. The lower unit l is inserted into the oven'and a pie plate containing the pie is placed thereon, resting on the plate. 8, now acting as a shelf; and a second unit I is placed above the first, as shown in Fig. 4. The oven door is then closed, and the electric plug I2 is connected to the unit 1,-as by inserting it through the aperture I! in the side wall (see Figs. 1 and 5), in registry with the contacts I l of the unit 1, thereby causing current to pass through the heating elements 9.

The pic will now receive heat conductively from the lower unit acting as a shelf, radiantly from the upper unit, and also by convection from air currents flowing throughout the oven. The aperture lit in the side wall of the oven ac- 5 commodates ventilation and escape of steam and other gases, and being exposed to. the atmosphere of the room in which the baking or cooking is taking place, permits the outside air to circulate somewhat through the oven thereby assuring in the oven a desired uniformity of heat and preventing excessive heat pockets.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs.

' 6 to 10, this oven differs little from the preferre'd embodiment except in the precise form and arrangement of the electrical connections,

which, however, are all well in front and readily accessible.

Vertical channel insulators l6 are mounted one on each side in the forward portion of the interior of the oven as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. Secured in each bar I6 is a resilient channel conductor I! to serve as a receptor part for the unit switches. A sectional View of this is shown in Fig. 9. The conductor I? is secured by bolts l8 and is connected to a power source by a wire I9 and cable l9. (See Fig. 6.)

The unit 1' is constructed as disclosed in the preferred embodiment, exceptthat the electric terminals are changed to correspond with the two oven channel-s i1. Hence it has insulative arms 28 extending oppositely on each front cor- As the vertical receptor plates or channels l8 extend substantially the entire height of the oven, a heater connectionmay be made at ant point and any reasonable number of units 1 may be used.

In operating this modification, upon insertion of the unit 1' into the ovenon the supports 6, by forcing the unit toward the rear of the oven the connectors 2| will be caused to engage with the receptors l1 and a contact with the current supply will be made, as will be apparent. If the unit is to be turned off the unit may be extracted from the oven or pulled out a short distance or just enough to free the connectors from the receptors. The baking and cooking operations are performed in the same way as is done inthe preferred embodiment.

It is to be understoodthat some of the details herein set forth may be modified or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following ,claim.

I claim:

An electric oven 'havinga front opening with an operable closure therefor and lateral interior supports on the walls, in combination with a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally movable heater and supporting units adapted to receive the material to be cooked, said units having electrical contact members respectively in accessible position adjacent to their forward side parts for operative manual control to close and open the current supply circuit, the oven side wall being laterally slotted vertically near the front in registry with land to give access to the contact members and to provide limited air inlet and outlet.

ROSALIA C. PHELPS. 

